


Five Guys Burgers and Fries and Science

by theresalwaysaway



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - High School, F/M, Fast Food, Homeschool, Meet-Cute, picture of space
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-17
Updated: 2016-07-04
Packaged: 2018-07-15 15:20:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,694
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7227757
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theresalwaysaway/pseuds/theresalwaysaway
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>If she's from Princeton, why would she being working at Five Guys Burgers and Fries?  Fitz soon discovers there is more to Jemma Simmons than meets the eye (even if said eye was once stung by pepper oils).  Misunderstandings, science, eventual friendship and maybe something more--it all begins in the unlikely setting of a fast food restaurant with the best burgers around.  Where will it end?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She thinks he hates her. He was just trying to come up with something clever enough to say to her. She goes to Princeton for heaven's sake. He's still in high school. Misunderstandings prevent them from being friends. Can science bring them together?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was at a Five Guys Burger fast food restaurant in a basic suburban plaza in New Jersey. It was about six o’clock and there were two employees having their dinner break in front of the store. One was a teenage girl and the other a teenage boy. They were sitting at two different tables but facing the same direction intent on scrolling through their phones. All I could think was: “Why aren’t they sitting together?”

“Fitz, thanks for coming in early. Can you train the new girl on prep this afternoon? Ah, there she is now.” Fitz’s manager gestured toward the front door. Like most fast food restaurants, glass windows and doors covered the entire front of Five Guys Burgers and Fries. Fitz could see the new girl running through the parking lot, her ponytail flying behind her. As she approached the door, she collected herself before walking in.

“Sorry I’m late, I came straight from Princeton. I’m ready for my first day!” 

“Hey, no problem.” The manager greeted her. “Let me introduce you. Jemma Simmons, Fitz, Fitz, Jemma. Fitz will be showing you the prep work we do so we can feed the hungry masses when they begin trickling in around five.” He pointed to each topping on the counter, “Mushrooms, jalapeños, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, onions grilled, bacon, well you know the drill. You’ll find gloves over there. I leave you in capable hands.” 

Jemma put her hand out to Fitz and said, “It’s nice to meet you. Just Fitz?” 

“It’s Leo Fitz, but please just call me Fitz.” Fitz didn’t hear much of anything the manager said after Jemma uttered the word ‘Princeton’. The school’s name was intimidating enough, the fact that she went there made it more so. If she went to such a prestigious school, why was she working here? 

She had already put on her gloves and offered him a pair by the time Fitz snapped back into reality. “Where do we start?” 

He froze again. _Think!_ He grabbed the first thing he saw. “Tomato. Slicing.” He began to demonstrate. _Why couldn’t he come up with more than two words?_ he thought. _What was he? A neanderthal? Nice first impression. What was that in her hand?_

“I found this over by the gloves.” She held up the binder with a Five Guys label on it called “Prep Instructions.” “It says here to use a tomato knife. Where would I find that?” 

Fitz looked up and stared. _What was a tomato knife?_ He had frankly never seen the book before. 

When he had no answers for her, she gave up and began to search one out for herself. She bustled about consulting the book for guidance getting little input from Fitz. She tried to make conversation by sprinkling in biology and chemistry facts as they prepped the ingredients. Refrigeration and bacteria. Protein and heat. But, when they were met with no response, she gradually stopped. Soon, almost all the toppings were cut and stored in their proper places. 

Fitz was secretly relieved that he hardly had to train her, while Jemma secretly convinced herself he hated her. The number of words he had spoken to her could be counted on one hand. And he swore she rolled her eyes at him when she thought he wasn’t looking. 

He put his hands up to his face. How was he ever going to think of something to say to impress this Ivy Leaguer? 

“Be careful! Your eyes!” yelled Jemma. It was too late. He had forgotten the effect of jalapeños. His gloves protected his hands, but now there was fresh pepper juice on his face, stinging his eye. “Does it burn?” Fitz nodded, squeezing his eyes shut. Jemma looked around for milk. _Maybe over by the coffeemaker? Yes._ She grabbed a paper towel, splashed some milk on it, and put it in Fitz’s hand. “Here, put that on your face. Jalapeños have Capsaicin, a compound that irritates skin and mucous membranes. It is soluble in milk which should break up the oils.” 

He was mortified, but it did take much of the sting out. After a whispered, “Thanks,” he excused himself to assess the damage. Not just to his face, but to his dignity. He decided that avoiding her the rest of the night was probably the best policy. When it was time for dinner break, he sat and ate at the front of the seating area, grateful that she chose to eat at a different table. 

_Why doesn’t he look at me?_ she thought. _I was only trying to help. I must have come on too strong. Always trying to solve everyone’s problems._ She shook her head at herself, _He probably hates me._

After Jemma had left for the night, the manager approached Fitz. “How did Jemma do during prep training?” 

All Fitz could say was, “She excels at preparation.” _And probably anything else she sets her mind to_ , he thought.

* * *

The next time she came in to work, Fitz wasn't working. The manager beamed at her when she arrived, “Hi Jemma, Fitz told me you did an excellent job in the prep area! Ready to feed some hungry people?” 

_Really?_ It was nice to be validated even if it was second-hand. _Maybe he doesn’t hate me after all._

They don’t work the same shift again for a week. When they do, they are not assigned the same area which made it easier for Fitz to continue to avoid Jemma. At their dinner break, they sat at different tables but she sat down after he did, and decided to face him. Although she didn't actually look at him. Instead, she spent her break watching a video of a SpaceX landing. When she audibly gasped at its content, Fitz instinctively looked up at her but just as quickly looked back down. She was visibly embarrassed, and felt the need to justify herself. She paused the video and walked over to him. “I just think it’s magnificent that we are going into space again. Watch.” They watched together as the first stage of the rocket dropped back to Earth and landed squarely on the droneship floating in the ocean. 

Fitz blurted out, “I’ve seen this! Um, I saw it live actually. Not in person. Livestreaming. On their website.”

Jemma didn't notice his awkwardness. Her enthusiasm carried her along. “How were they able to calculate exactly where it would land?” She asked, thinking it was a rhetorical question. “I don’t know how they do that. It’s incredible.” 

Fitz immediately briefed her on the mathematics involved and drew her helpful diagrams on napkins, launching into a mini-seminar on feedback loops and control systems. He realized he might be rambling and checked to see if Jemma’s eyes were glazing over. Instead they had lit up as if she were truly engaged. “Fitz, that’s so interesting! How do you know all this?” 

_Did I manage to make her think I was clever?_

“Um….would you believe it if I said MIT?”

“You go to MIT?” she breathed, incredulous, taking a seat next to him.

“Far from it…” He raised one hand and waved it slightly between them. “Still in high school. But I was able to pick up a little aeronautics and astronautics from the MIT website.”

“Seriously! Fitz, I had no idea! Give me a blood sample and a microscope anytime, but trajectories and gravitational pull calculations--you can have them.” She smiled wide. 

“Your food’s getting cold. We only have ten minutes left. Why don’t--”

“I bring my food over to this table?” She went to get what was left of her burger and fries.

After she sat down, he took a deep breath. “So, uh, you go to Princeton?” 

She laughed. “Hardly!” She copied his little hand raising gesture. “Still in high school, too. I did tour there last week--that’s why I was late! Such a fine institution--its buildings are covered in actual ivy.” She sighed dreamily. “I am trying to get into a summer program there. Because I just turned 16, I can finally apply. Don’t you find high school to be excruciatingly tedious?” She rolled her eyes. “I can’t wait to start college. Someday I’m going to work in a lab.” 

“What kind of summer program is it?”

“You should apply, Fitz! It’s the most perfect opportunity to work on real research! Real research in an actual lab all summer right at the college. I have my eye on one of their parasite projects.”

Fitz made a face. “I’d rather stay away from parasites, if you don’t mind.” 

“Oh, they have projects that are more, let us say... inorganic, as well. I’m sure they’d have great engineering ones! I do hope we both get in. I’ll send you the link right now. What’s your email?” 

As she typed on her phone, he eyed some leftover fries that were being woefully ignored on her side of the table. “Are you going to eat those?” At first she frowned, but then her demeanor softened to a knowing smile as she pushed the basket over to him. She knew what her brothers were like. At least he had asked.

As he happily polished off the rest of Jemma’s fries, he found it incredible that he could hold anyone’s attention for so long. He wondered if it was possible to bottle up this incredible feeling.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More bonding over science and burgers. They both apply to the summer program at Princeton. Will they both get accepted?

The next time Fitz shared the same shift with Jemma, they gravitated toward each other and ate together during their dinner break. Both knew how it felt to be the youngest in their classes. They traded stories about the diplomacy needed when correcting teachers and what to do when the answer keys were wrong. As a sophomore, Jemma had taken the most advanced math and science classes offered at her school. She would have to do independent study next year. He was thinking of studying mechanical engineering in college and eventually earning his Phd. She was considering getting her Phd as well, but couldn’t decide: Chemistry or Biology? He wondered aloud if she could attempt both at the same time. Why not? Maybe he was teasing a little, but the idea was planted in her mind. At least Five Guys provided food on the job, an efficiency they both appreciated.  


* * *

Jemma threw her backpack on her bed, opened her laptop and looked up Fitz on Google Chat.  


                        J: I just got home from school.

F: Hey

                        J: I never asked what high school you go to.

F: I’m homeschooled.

                        J: What??

F: True.

                        J: How does that even work?

F: I just do all my schoolwork at home.

                        J: Your teachers send all the work home?

F: No, my mom sets up my classes.

                        J: What do you do for Math?

F: Online at community college.

                        J: You are in college, then?

F: Technically, I am still in high school, but they let me take classes. You could do it, too.

                        J: I could?

F: I just looked it up, it’s called dual-enrollment

                        J: Interesting. What about science?

F: I did the classes last year on CD-ROM. They were ridiculously easy.

                        J: You are so lucky!!!!

F: It works.

                        J: WAIT!………. What about chem lab????? Got you there!

F: I’ll admit I do have to venture out of the house for that one.

                        J: So do you get homework?

F: It’s all homework. Ha ha.

                        J: What time do you get up?

F: No comment.

                        J: Ugh. That’s not fair. I have to meet the bus at 6:30. It’s brutal if I haven’t gotten my requisite 9.25 hours of sleep,                         which is practically never.

F:

                        J: That’s 6:30 AM.

F: I’m not saying I don’t use an alarm.

                        J: And it’s cold and dark in the winter.

F: Just rarely.

                        J: You’re infuriating.

F: Sorry. I’m going to apply to that program. The nano-materials project looks interesting. I doubled the life of my iPhone battery. Would you like me to try it on yours?

                        J: Could you? That’d be excellent. I should go tackle my homework. Actually, I’d prefer to do the homework and skip the classes!                         They are such a waste of time. It would be even better if they let me spend most of the day in the lab working on my projects. I                         have one now where I am trying to see the cellular reaction to a vaccine versus an antiserum.

F: Aren’t they the same?

                        J: (eye roll emoji) Ugh, no! They are completely different!

F: Don’t you have homework?

                        J: Yes, and I have to finish most of it before I go into work. Are you working tonight?

F: 5-9:30

                        J: See you then!

F: You can instruct me in the area of vaccines and antiserums.

                        J: I will!! Ha ha!

F: Bye. See you at work.

                        J: Bye

* * *

Jemma was thrilled to discover they were both working in burger assembly that night. It was an easy job which left her plenty of brain cycles to spare for sparkling conversation with Fitz. He immediately reminded her she owed him a primer on the differences between a vaccine and an antiserum. Once they had exhausted the topic, she asked him, “Do you have side projects?”

“I dabble.”

“Do tell.”

“I race drones competitively.” Fitz described his quadcopter with a camera on it and how he wore a special headset that allowed him to see what the drone sees.

“Do you think you could teach me?”

“Any day. You name it.” He paused, adding a tease, “But only after you finish your homework.”

She sighed. “There just aren’t enough hours in the day. Between school, homework and getting the optimal number of hours of sleep, I find I don’t have time to focus on what I really want to do--like test tubes and bunsen burners.”

“Homeschooling does have its perks.” He said in a sing-song way, holding it out as a possibility for her to consider. “If there’s a meteor shower, which are best after midnight, I might remind you, I don’t have to set an alarm in the morning.” He was laying it on thick. “I have a lot more freedom than most homeschool kids I know. As long as I get my work done, I can set my own schedule. I know of one homeschooler who actually enjoys getting up early to go birdwatching.”

“I don’t like birds, they’ll peck your eyes out with their tiny little beaks.” She formed her hands into imaginary beaks and pretended to attack Fitz’s face with them. Fitz thought her an odd bird, but didn’t say so out loud. After a brief lull in the conversation, she continued, “Do you ever have the sudden realization that you don’t know something and then feel compelled to learn everything about it?”

“Constantly! At one time, I knew all the monkeys of the world, their ranges, their habitats..”.

“I went through a marine animal phase!”

“Then there were countries and flags. But, I trust my knowledge is out of date now.”

“I memorized all the lakes and rivers! That never goes out of date. Except the Aral Sea--”

“-- which is drying up.”

“Exactly! If I become fascinated with some new arena these days, the time gets away from me and I pay for it the next day. So. Tired.” She was bending under the weight of the evidence. _Wouldn’t it be great to have time to pursue the things I like? Perhaps I could go at my own pace and graduate early._ She wondered if she should ask her mother to homeschool her. On the other hand she liked to follow the rules--do what’s expected of her. It made her feel nice.

She had only a few moments to ponder these things before it was time to break for dinner.

Once they had their food and drinks, they found a two person table. Jemma leaned forward. “You know what I like to think about? It’s a crazy idea, but what if a virus could be spread by electric shock?”

Fitz leaned forward to reply, “I’m not sure the laws of physics would agree with you.” He sat up again, raising his eyebrows and grinning.

“But say it did,” she insisted. 

“Well, the first thing I’d want to know is…...How could you administer the vaccine?”

“Or antiserum.”

“Or antiserum.” Fitz began to design such a delivery mechanism in his mind. But before he got too far, Jemma posed a new question.

“Or what about alien life forms?” 

“Now we are discussing aliens?”

“Do they have DNA? Or is it something else altogether?”

“Jemma, you are one endlessly inquisitive individual.” 

“And you aren’t?”

“It’s the only way to be.” He raised up a fist. When she got the message, she gave him a fistbump and a small smile. He went on, “You know what I like to think about? The Spacetime Continuum. Have you ever heard of something called the Einstein-Rosen Bridge?”

And so it went, sharing ideas they had never been able to with anyone else. As they cleaned up their table and headed back behind the counter, Jemma was just amazed at how the time she spent with him flew by. She always had big ideas and grand plans but mostly she kept them to herself. Now, it was as if her universe, which was already vast, had doubled in size. It was exhilarating.  


* * *

The next day, Fitz was working on his laptop when he heard the Google Chat ding. It was Jemma.

J: Did you get an email from Princeton yet?

                        F: Not yet. Did you?

J: No. I was thinking, let’s not open the email until we can do it together. Let’s skype or something.

                        F: You don’t have to wait for me.

J: I want to though.

                        F: Ok, I’ll skype you when I see it in my inbox.

Fitz was pretty sure they both would be accepted, but they would not be on the same project. Unless they both picked the same second choice and neither of them got their first choice. What were the chances of that happening? A germ of an idea wandered into his mind. _Would I rather work with Jemma on any project than work on my first choice? Yes, Yes I would rather work with Jemma._ Well, that was an interesting development.

He and Jemma seemed to complement each other, he reasoned. She had one of those brilliant minds that picked up on things along the way and held onto them. He liked to think he fit that profile, too, but she had a completely different edition of the encyclopedia in her head. He wanted their minds on the same team. Think of the potential! _It is not going to happen._ He’d have to make do with catching up with her during dinner breaks at Five Guys.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They both get into the summer science program at Princeton. But is it everything they expect? Will they get to spend any time together?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for everyone's patience and Writeonthrough's thoughtful edits/improvements. My summer road trip has left me with limited time and limited internet access, but I will do my best to get the next chapter up asap!

Jemma answered Fitz’s Skype request right away. She had heard from the summer program about ten minutes ago and was doing her best not to think about it.

“Hi!” Jemma greeted Fitz on video chat. “I’m so nervous.”

“I don’t know why. You are by far the most deserving candidate. Are you ready?”

“Ready.”

“Let’s open them.”

Silence filled the air space between their connection. Somehow, they could both feel the other’s nerves in their own stomachs.

Fitz was the first to speak. “It looks like I’m in…”

“Me, too!” Jemma exclaimed. She looked at him through the screen. “Oh, Fitz, it’s going to be a great summer!”

“I didn’t get my first choice. I don’t think so anyway…” He kept reading.

“Same here. How disappointing, but wait….”

Instead of getting their first or second choice, they were both placed on the same project, one that wasn’t on the list. The wording was the same on both their acceptance letters with one small exception. Jemma read hers with some concern.

“Congratulations on being invited to participate in Princeton’s Laboratory Learning Program. **Please reply to this email indicating whether you accept or decline your spot by June 7.** We have an exciting summer planned and we expect great things from each of our young researchers. Orientation will be held on June 15 at 9 am. We will be touring the campus the first day. Depending on your project, you may also begin working in a lab environment. Please wear lab appropriate clothing, including footwear. We look forward to meeting you!

Please see below for your assigned project and lab partners (if any).

**Project Shield**

The project is to send a small containment module into space and have it return to earth. The experiment will be to test microscopic organisms with various levels of shielding and detect how the organisms respond. Phase One will be running simulations on a computer. Phase Two will be to simulate the environment in the lab. Phase Three will be building the module and sending it into space. Phases will be completed as time permits under the direction of Professor Coulson.

Lab Partner: Leo Fitz”

* * *

When she saw Fitz’s name, she let out a small squeak. “Fitz! It’s you!”

“I see that!”

“But this project wasn’t on the list. I don’t remember it.” It seemed much more complicated than any of the original projects. What an opportunity!

“I don’t either, but it looks perfect for us, yeah?”

“Yeah,” Jemma responded with enthusiasm, her mind already churning with ideas. “I could be in charge of selecting the organisms and determining the measurements needed.”

“I am designing the module, propulsion unit, and measurement collection.” Fitz was no longer visible on Jemma’s screen. Without Fitz to look at, she thought to herself, _It’s almost as if they created the project with us in mind._

“Fitz? Where’d you go?”

“I’m getting my notebook.” He sounded far away.

“You’re going to accept, right?”

“‘Course! Aren’t you?” He leaned back in his computer chair.

“I’m accepting it right now.” As she clicked away, she looked forward to summer as she never had before: with a mix of excitement and a bit of apprehension. She was very aware of the responsibility they were being entrusted with. “It’ll definitely be a challenge for both of us.”

“We’ll sort it out.” He assured her, half distracted by the drawings he was adding to his notebook.

“We’re getting this thing in the air, aren’t we?”

He looked right into the web camera. “We most certainly are.”

* * *

Jemma had already been on a tour of the campus. Fitz felt like he was getting two tours, one from the tour guide and one from Jemma. Gradually he stopped paying attention to the tour guide and focused on his personal one. In one building, they were shown the classroom where Einstein taught. Fitz leaned over to Jemma and whispered, “Bet you didn’t know Einstein was homeschooled.” His smug expression caused her to scoff and roll her eyes. He whispered again, his eyes dancing, “Some tour guide!” She couldn’t help a small smile appearing as the crowd moved on to the next stop in the tour.

Later on that day, they got acquainted with their lab space. Fitz was testing the 3D printer while Jemma picked up the instruction book for the microscope. Fitz noticed her reading it. “I can’t believe you’re actually reading the manual. Just jump right in, you of all people should be able to figure it out.”

“Someone took the time to write it; I should take the time to read it.”

“Personally, I think it’s a waste of time. I’d rather be productive.”

“Oh, I don’t know, if you had read the Five Guys prep instructions, you wouldn’t have burned your eye.”

“That was one time!”

* * *

After dinner that night, Fitz checked his chat window with Jemma. She had tried to chat with him earlier and her question was still visible.

J: Are you going to quit Five Guys? Now that we’re working in the lab all day…

He replied right away.

                        F: I can’t really. I’d like to help my mom pay for insurance now that I’m driving.

He waited for her reply. When it didn’t come back right away, he clicked on another tab to continue reading an article on nano-materials and their applications in space. That’s when he heard the familiar ding.

J: My parents insisted I get a job. They say it builds character, but maybe I can convince them that working in the lab is enough. I’m glad they did though. Make me get a job, I mean. (smile emoji)

                        F: I’m glad they did, too.

* * *

On their second day in the lab, Fitz brought in a poster to hang in his lab space. It was a photo of a galaxy. When Jemma took off her safety goggles, she finally noticed it. “That’s new! It’s really quite lovely.”

“It’s M74--a spiral galaxy in Pisces. One of my prized possessions, really. It looks complex at first, but if you look carefully, you see that all that spiraling comes from just two arms. It’s simple and complex at the same time. Kind of like what we do here.” He gestured with one arm into the rest of the lab.

“Did you just use a metaphor?” Jemma teased.

“I have a lot of time to think. Not being socialized with my peers and all.”

“You’re not missing anything, trust me. I have girlfriends who call me after school, sure, but all they seem to want to talk about is what they are going to wear the next day...although I do have an above average fashion sense. And don’t even get me started with the boyfriend drama.” She rolled her eyes while simultaneously rolling her head in an exaggerated fashion.

“No boyfriend for you, then?”

“Just one. Milton--the smartest kid in the school.” She had a faraway look in her eyes. “He got a full scholarship to CalTech and we sort of drifted apart. He was so much older than I.”

Jemma looked away quickly. _Was that oversharing?_ She changed the subject. “Add in the fact that frankly, no one is really interested in learning at my school.” She sighs. “Honestly, homeschooling is looking better and better.”

“Are you working tonight?”

“No.”

“Do you want to come visit my school after we are done in the lab?” 

“Would I pass up a chance to observe the wild Fitz in his natural habitat?”

He chuckled. “It’ll be fairly domestic, I’m quite sure of that!” 

Jemma was always up for spending more time with Fitz. He was nicer to her than Milton ever was. He treated her with respect -- like they were equals. _Which we are!_ She began to question her decision to quit Five Guys. 

* * *

“Carbonated beverage?” Jemma was standing in Fitz’s kitchen. Fitz had retrieved two cans of Coke from the refrigerator.

“I guess a little phosphoric acid won’t damage my teeth too badly.” she teased.

“Is that a yes?” He gently tossed a can over to her.

“Yes, please, caffeine and sugar is just what I need to relax after a hard day in the lab.” She feigned exhaustion and flopped into a chair at the kitchen table.

“I don’t know how you’ll survive the summer. Living _your dream._ ” He smiled, eyes flashing blue.

“What’s your dream Fitz? Your dream college?”

“I’m going to Rutgers.”

“They have a good engineering program there?”

“It’s in the top three. Only Princeton and Columbia outrank it. I might even be able to start in January. By then, I’ll have two years worth of college credits. Between testing out, taking extra credits and summer classes, I could finish my Bachelor’s by December of next year. It might seem ambitious, but in a couple of years I hope to be finishing up my PhD thesis. What about the young Jemma Simmons? Is she equally ambitious?”

“Look at who’s calling me young! Of course it’s always been a dream of mine to attend Princeton, but two years is a long way off.”

“The good news is you don’t have to wait for a drone flying lesson. I can give you one right now? Are you up for it?”

“Always!” She leapt out of her chair with excitement.

* * *

They made rapid progress in the lab, surprising their advisor, Professor Coulson. Sometimes, they got on each other’s nerves, but most of the time they worked in harmony. 

At some point Jemma discovered that the first SpaceX droneship was named “Just Read The Instructions.” She triumphantly alerted Fitz to the fact. “See! Even Elon Musk agrees with me!” It became a running joke that whenever he ran into an obstacle and started grousing about something not working, she would quip, “Just read the instructions, Fitz.” 

He’d always glare back, “That was one time!”

Their quips would break through the mental fog he was in, however, and as he would explain to her the problem he was attempting to solve, an answer would soon come. She wasn’t an engineer, but she would follow along as best she could, trying to ask pertinent questions. Once he arrived at a solution, he would thank her profusely and they would work in silence again. She would smile and shake her head.

When they weren’t working through lunch, they ate outside whenever possible. One day, Fitz brought one of his drones and its remote control along with him. He proceeded to fly it all over the quad, but then stopped it on a dime so it hovered right over Jemma’s head before landing perfectly right in front of her.

“Would you like to have a go?” Fitz offered her the controls.

“I haven’t flown this since my one and only lesson. Let’s see if I can remember. What’s my course?” Fitz pointed at the various landmarks she was supposed to use and she performed the circuit flawlessly.

“You have a good memory.”

“I have a good teacher.” She removed the controller headset and handed it back to him. “I brought an extra sandwich.” She pulled out her lunch and sat on the bench. “Would you like it?”

“Is it --?”

“--Prosciutto and Mozzarella? Yes.” Jemma replied as she passed him the sandwich.

“Jemma, you’re the best.”

She smiled and Fitz happily munched in silence.

* * *

They both were scheduled to work that evening. Fitz was surprised to see her. “I thought you were going to quit.”

“I figured I’d work through the summer. You won’t have to train anyone new and I’ll just be bursting with character. Right? You’re not going to get sick of me, are you? ” 

“It’s a chance I’ll have to take.” He said with a twinkle in his eye. But he thought to himself, _No. Never._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To see a picture of the galaxy, [click here.](http://theresalwaysaway.tumblr.com/post/144357656096/its-astronomy-day)


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The good news is the professors at Princeton are impressed with the work our scientists have done over the summer. The bad news is: it’s almost over.

Phase Three of Project Shield was well underway. Fitz and Jemma were about to achieve their goal of getting the containment module in the air and into space. These results would no longer be theoretical. They would be contributing real experimental data to the scientific record! However, at the moment the pressure difference measurement kept transmitting zero. Air pressure within each compartment was an important measurement to detect leaks in the shielding. The difference between two compartments was valuable information. It wasn’t working and they were running out of time.

Fitz looked at the wires inside the module.

Jemma asked, “Is the sensor connected to the transmitter?”

“Yes! I don’t know what else the problem could be.”

“Pretend it’s an exam.” Applying her studies to practical work was harder than any of her finals and she was getting edgy. “Oh, I forgot, homeschoolers don’t take tests.”

“I take tests! I took the PSAT, the SAT, and the ACT. Perhaps you’ve heard of them!” Fitz snapped.

“What’s your math SAT score?”

“800. What else would it be?”

“Same! 800.”

“We’re wasting time!”

Immediately, something clicked in Jemma and she knew why it wasn’t displaying the measurement properly. She checked the code that controlled the display, found the bug, and showed Fitz. “Simple subtraction error.” Instead of comparing the pressures of two different compartments, _someone_ had compared the same compartment to itself. _Of course,_ the difference between the two numbers would be _zero._ They argued whose fault it was, dropping it after a while when they couldn’t arrive at a conclusion.

“I still have better SATs.” Fitz wouldn’t let it go. “My English score is higher.”

“My essay score is higher.” Retorted Jemma.

“Not by much!”

“I see _now_ you can subtract!”

“Let’s just fix this.”

One minor adjustment and the display finally registered a non-zero number! They ran a final regression test of every part of the system and soon the mechanism was ready to go. They high-fived each other. Perfect timing, too, they realized, as they were scheduled to launch the next day.

* * *

One month later, two days before the program ends:  


Jemma wrote up the report while Fitz modified his drone by installing one of the sensors he had developed for the project.

Jemma broke the silence. “You were able to work with nano-materials after all. Your shielding performed better than expected.”

“And you decided to include parasites. We discovered they don’t do well in space with or without a host.”

She looked up from her screen. “I’m glad they paired us together.”

“I knew we’d make a great team.” He paused and then continued to tinker. “I admire people in your field. It must be fascinating finding ways to cure diseases and heal people.” He looked up at her this time, his eyes full of sincerity. “We’re lucky to have people like you.”

“Oh, but what you do is so cutting edge! Think of the breakthroughs we’ve had with the space program--discoveries that have had a long-lasting impact on everyone. Both of us--our fields combined are---” She couldn’t continue talking about them as teammates. She didn’t want it to end. It had been a glorious summer. A life changing summer, full of research and discovery and Fitz. She had to work to pull herself together. Luckily he went back to tinkering and finished for her.

“--better together? Precisely.”

She tried to get back to the report, but her mind kept drifting off to the engineer in the room. So smart and handsome. She marveled at the fact that Fitz had complete confidence in her. She didn’t know why this should surprise her so much as she had complete confidence in his abilities. Even though he was a little bit squeamish (adorable really), when it came to their biological samples, he was always willing to help. Right away, he picked up on what she needed him to do. He was such an asset to her. 

_We are assets to each other. And tomorrow is our last day together._

* * *

On their last day in the lab, Jemma had packed up all her things together and put them in a box. Fitz finished everything except for rolling up the poster of the galaxy. She stared at it. She had become rather fond of it. It reminded her of him. Then it dawned on her that it actually reminded her of them--together. Two individuals spiraling around each other to create something new and beautiful. She froze. _It’s us!_ A new and confusing feeling pervaded through Jemma. Was it fear? Elation? _And did I just use a metaphor?_

Fitz rolled up the picture. “Is everything okay?” 

“Just…I’m going to miss this place.”

“Me, too.” They walked out together. “You at least can come visit the lab anytime you want.” Princeton admitted them both to the Fall freshman class. Jemma accepted immediately but Fitz was still weighing his options. The Rutgers path meant he could get his Phd quicker.

“But it won’t be _our_ lab.”

“We’ll be back.” He didn’t know why he said it. They may be on separate, though parallel, paths for awhile, but he knew they would work together again. It was inevitable.

* * *

Two years later.

Jemma was working late in her lab one evening. The data was swimming before her and patterns were not emerging. She missed Fitz at times like these when she needed a second pair of eyes. Typically, he’d return her texts right away and always seemed eager to consult her. Then there were other times, like now, when he wouldn’t reply to texts or emails for HOURS. _Pick up your phone!_ She longed for the days when they shared a lab and were brilliant together.

She wondered how she’d fare in the days of ships at sea with no communication for months or even years. People might as well have been on another planet. But she was sure he was still on this earth. Somewhere. Even if he wasn’t answering his phone. She reminded herself he was at a very important conference that would be good for his career and his future. _Sigh._ And wasn’t his future also their future? Hopefully? It was a little bit terrifying to think about it one way or the other. She wasn’t really sure how he felt about her, but frankly, she found him attractive. _Extremely attractive._ How did she become so attached to him? When did her attraction start? It must have started the day he taught her to fly the drone. She would never forget how patient he was and how delighted he was as she gained skill. It was intoxicating and she never wanted to be without him from that day on. To thank him, she had brought lunch the next day--her signature sub sandwich. The thought reminded her that she missed supper and she knew what she was going to make for herself when she got home.

* * *

Fitz missed having Jemma at the conference. The time they had both attended together was so much better as she was there to bounce ideas off of. His sessions ran over and he was late to the dinner he was expected to attend. By the time he got back to his hotel room, it was too late to call or chat with Jemma. Instead, he replayed the original SpaceX video she had shown him. He enjoyed watching the successful landing on _“Of Course I Still Love You.”_ He never really noticed the name of the droneship before. Now it made him think new thoughts. Awkward thoughts. 

Fitz never had anything like a girlfriend before, but if he did he knew would be someone like Jemma. Where on earth would he find someone else like Jemma? It would be impossible. Up until that moment of seeing the droneship’s name, it never occurred to him that they were anything other than friends. Friends, who collaborated exceptionally well together. But perhaps they were more than that.

He recognized this fact: he did not know Jemma’s romantic side. He understood her intellect, but what did he know of her feelings? Not much. He would have to find out. How did she feel about him? _No NO NO! Not good._ That was not something he could just google and research on his own. He would have to ask her. _On a date. What? Oh, no. It’s going to change everything, isn’t it?_ And then there was the matter of figuring out and telling her his own feelings. Personal love confessions were not recorded on the internet for him to google, either! Sitting on the bed, he grabbed a hotel pillow and clutched it to his chest resting his chin on top. There he sat, trapped between curiosity and fear. What had happened to him? If he were honest, the emergence of his feelings probably went back to the day after the drone lesson. That sandwich was the best thing he had ever tasted.

* * *

Nine months later. Graduation Day. Rutgers.

The ceremony was over and Fitz searched for Jemma in the visitor section of the graduation seating area. He was still in his graduation robe with various honorary cords draped around his neck when he found her and embraced her. “Thanks for coming, Jemma.” They walked slowly across the grass, each with one arm around the other’s waist.

“It must be some kind of record. From freshman to Phd in three years.” Jemma replied. 

“Technically, I wasn’t a freshman. But look at you! You, who did start out as a freshman, are well on your way to receiving not one, but two doctorates. How did you convince them to waive all those prerequisites? Unprecedented at Princeton, I tell you. You must be some kind of genius.” Fitz commented, but he knew that already.

Jemma was fast approaching completing her first Phd in Biology and would spend the next year finishing up the requirements for that as well as her second doctorate in Chemistry.

“You want to grab a burger?” Fitz suggested.

“I know a great place.” She replied smiling up at him.

Once they sat down in their favorite spot by the window with their food, Fitz looked up and said, “Now that we are situated in these august surroundings, I have an important announcement.” Jemma’s stomach did a little flip. Fitz’s advisor was of the opinion that Fitz _‘Needed some ivy on his resume’_ and was actively searching for a Postdoctoral Fellowship for Fitz at one of the many prestigious universities around the country. But where? “I'm going to be a post-doc at Princeton.”

She threw her arms around him and squealed, “It’ll be our lab again!”

“Told you we’d be back.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did Fitz ever follow through on his plan to ask Jemma out? Will they become closer now that they are sharing a lab again. Find out in the dramatic conclusion! :-)


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Dramatic Conclusion! Thanks for reading! And of course, special thanks to writeonthrough for all her helpful and brilliant suggestions.

At the beginning of the summer, both Jemma and Fitz were delighted to be working in the same lab again. Jemma was downright giddy the first day when Fitz put up his poster of the galaxy. And Fitz seemed genuinely pleased by her reaction.

Being in close proximity again did have its drawbacks. For one, they were very distracted by each other. He never noticed how smooth her hair was. And whenever that errant lock fell in her face, he resisted the urge to put it behind her ear for her. _Try not to stare!_ He thought.

Jemma had trouble meeting Fitz’s gaze as his eyes held a shade of blue that was particularly mesmerizing to her. As she looked at him, she would forget what she was saying and that was embarrassing enough for someone who was going for two PhDs. However, that didn’t stop her from eyeing him from across the room, especially when he was tinkering with his engineering equipment--his concentration fascinated her. _It’s not polite to stare!_ She would chastise herself.

And heaven forbid that they should bump into each other inadvertently! He would stammer through an explanation similar to the time he trained her at Five Guys. She, on the other hand, would ramble a lengthy apology, not realizing a simple “Excuse me,” would do.

Despite these minor difficulties, their relationship was better than when their colleges were 25 minutes apart by car and letters on a screen their primary mode of communication. Being lab partners proved to be a satisfactory arrangement indeed.

In the back of their minds, a creeping feeling started to nag on them: how long could they let their tension fill the room without talking about it?

* * *

Three months later.

A PhD crisis had arisen.

“Have you thought about what you are going to do with your double doctorate?” Fitz asked her one day at the lab. 

“Not really.” She neglected to mention the many requests from around the country (and the world) that kept pouring in. At least one per day. Universities wanted the youngest double PhD in the history of Princeton on their faculty. Companies asked her to join their R&D department. Not to mention the government research facilities and the armed forces who flooded her email box. Frankly, she didn’t know what to do. All she knew was she wanted to work doing something important. A part of her thought about doing something completely different--maybe it might be the time to explore some exotic part of the world. Maybe the private sector? Or maybe CDC? At the moment, nothing was jump-up-and-down exciting. And she knew why. _Fitz._ Their relationship was very linear: growing, but at a constant rate of slow. Like the SpaceX trajectory, sometimes, a change in momentum is needed.  


“Fitz, I wanted to show you this.” She hesitated for a moment before offering Fitz the piece of paper. It was a contract with the Air Force. They’d pay for her to attend medical school and she’d get a chance to see the world. 

“You haven’t signed it.” 

“I wanted to know what you thought.” He groaned inwardly. He never had asked her out. He had lost his nerve and now she was leaving.  
“Please don’t sign anything just yet.” He ran his fingers through his hair. _Just ask her._ “Jemma, I should have asked you this some time ago.” He stopped. Now she was getting nervous. Was he going to propose? “Would you have dinner with me? And not at Five Guys.” He shook his head slightly. “We’ll go someplace nice.” 

“Yes, of course!” she breathed, relieved and excited at the same time. “You realize you’ve never asked me to dinner before.” They had eaten together so many times, but he had never asked her out. At least not like this. 

“Yes, but I wanted to.” His heart raced. “Sorry it took me so long.” He hoped it was not too late. 

Her heart beat a little bit faster. The momentum had changed. 

* * *

“You know this date is really about data collection.” said Fitz after they placed their order. Jemma’s lips turned up at him. He couldn’t help adding, “What?”

She shook her head. “This really is a date. What kind of data are you collecting exactly? You know everything about me.”

“Not everything.” He reached across the table and put his hand on top of hers. She thought briefly that there might be things she didn’t know about him, too. But that didn’t seem to stop her from falling in love with him. _I wonder if he feels the same way._

They talked about their families, what part of the world they’d like to explore (Switzerland was on both their lists), what they thought of the presidential election (not much), and so on. They sometimes strayed into science, but he would always steer them back. They blinked and it was 11:00 pm. The restaurant was closing.

“How much data do you need to collect?” Jemma inquired cheekily as they waited for the check.

“Enough to write the Instruction manual for Jemma Simmons.”

“But you never read instruction manuals!” she countered.

“This is one that would be worth reading, I think.”

They held hands in the parking lot on the way to his car. It was all very new. Fitz had never been this bold before. She found herself thinking of the picture of the galaxy. Was she being pulled toward the swirling mass in the center? Falling inexorably toward the black hole that was its core? Her emotions were spiralling and she was getting dizzy. They had reached the car and Fitz dropped her hand. But then he placed both hands on her shoulders. “Jemma, there is another thing I would like to know, but in order to find out, I’d need to kiss you. Would that be all right?”

“Fine...That would be fine.” Her mind swirled so much at his suggestion, she couldn’t find any other words to say.

Once their lips mingled together, it was more than fine. It was sweet and kind and wonderful. She felt like she did after solving a laborious problem. Triumph and relief.

“We should do this again.” she breathed.

“Kiss? Absolutely.”

“That and more data collection. I should be working on the Leo Fitz instruction manual. Number one: Don’t call him Leo.”

* * *

Fitz wanted to get together again the very next night. Jemma knew that once Fitz got an idea in his head, he became very focussed. She didn’t mind a bit. They drove to a local soccer field once it got dark. Fitz took his drone out of the trunk along with a blanket which he spread out on the grass. They took turns flying the drone in the wide open space, the only illumination coming from the light on the drone’s camera. After awhile, they set the drone aside and just laid on the blanket to look at the stars.

“I collected all my data.” he began.

“Did you?”

“I wrote that instruction manual.”

“So soon.”

“It was pretty simple, after all.” Jemma curiosity was piqued of course. He reached into the pocket of his jacket.

She froze. Did he have a ring?

It was just a piece of folded cardstock. He handed it to her. On the front, handwritten in big block letters, it read “Jemma Simmons Instruction Manual”. She opened it up. “1. Love her.”

Tears were forming in her eyes. She sat up and he followed. She looked over to find him gazing at her.

“I love you, Jemma. Don’t accept the Air Force offer. I wonder if you’d rather consider exploring a relationship and a future with me?”

She could barely speak, but she was determined to get these words out. “Fitz, I...Yes!” She looked down, overcome with emotion. “Admittedly, it sounds very serious. People will say we’re too young to be taking things so seriously.”

“Since when did we ever follow the proper timeline?”

“Good point!” A small squeal escaped her as she reached up to cradle his face.

“We’ll take things slow if that’s what you deem prudent.”

“Slow? Fitz, we’ve known each other for over three years! And I don’t know if you could tell or anything, but... I love you, too.” She lead his face to hers, capturing his lips, and guiding her hands through his hair until her arms rested on his shoulders.

* * *

Four months later.

They had a minor disagreement. How did something like this start? There was usually a deeper issue which erupted in some seemingly unrelated area. Once she thought about it, she realized her frustration grew because he hadn’t proposed yet. Maybe he was traditional and wanted to talk to her parents privately first. She certainly didn’t understand what was taking so long.

Quietness filled the lab and tension between them grew as they worked beside each other in the lab. There were quite a few samples and both soon realize they were going to be stuck in the lab for a while.

Fitz was not dawdling. It just took him longer. But, she snapped at him anyway. Maybe she didn’t need his help. Maybe his time would be better spent elsewhere. Her thoughtless words echoed through his mind. Not able to think of anything else, he left.

Jemma texted him thirty minutes later.

        Jemma: “I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. You must hate me.

        Fitz: Do you remember the name of the droneship in that video you showed me at Five Guys?

She didn’t. She looked it up on the computer to find the words, “Of course I still love you” emblazoned around the landing pad of the droneship. _Could there be a more kind, forgiving, lovely, wonderful man?_

When he returned she greeted him warmly, “Dr. Fitz, I’m glad you’ve come back. I’m just swamped! Would you mind giving me a hand?”

“Literally?”

“No, of course not. That would be silly.”

“Because I might actually have a spare one hiding around here somewhere…” He made a show of checking different cupboards and drawers. “Professor Coulson has me working on a new project…”

She tapped him on the shoulder. “I have a project for you.” She raised her eyebrows and grinned. Her project included a long slow kiss.

Absolutely no one was surprised when they got engaged a week later.

* * *

Five months later, Five Guys.

Jemma had shed her graduation robe, but retained the many cords around her neck. “I got my PhD first.” Fitz said as he bit into his burger.

“Yes, but I got two.” proclaimed Jemma holding up two french fries which she promptly ate.

Fitz had accepted a position at the CERN Particle Accelerator in a small town in Switzerland and would be starting in a couple of months. Jemma would be working at a medical research facility in nearby Geneva. They discussed their wedding plans and agreed that Switzerland is great place to go for a honeymoon before they start work.

They both had errands to run before the graduation party with the families. They walked out to their respective cars hand in hand. He kissed her goodbye and murmured, “Just read the instructions.”

To which she replied, “Of course I still love you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SpaceX really does use droneships with these names. They are names of spaceships in a science fiction book called “The Player of Games” written by **Iain** Banks who is **Scottish**.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic of any length. Hope you like it! I have finished the first draft of the remaining chapters. My beta, Writeonthrough, and I will be reviewing, revising, and posting chapters as our schedule permits. Find me on Tumblr, I'm Theresalwaysaway over there, too.


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